Here are also reported latest
updates on cruise law news related to ashore and shipboard crimes still investigated by the police.
Among those could be arrests, filed lawsuits against the shipowner / cruise line company, charges and fines,
grievances, settled / withdrawn legal actions, lost cases, Norovirus, etc.

pier collision/allision – 2017 (Nassau Bahamas)

motor yacht rescue – 2013

injuries/crimes – sexual/kid molestation (2012-cover up, 2014)

medevacs - 2018

Date

Accident

06 November 2018

Coast Guard Medevacs

(CruiseMapper email from Brian Kelley) On November 6, 2018, around 2-3 hours after departing call port Nassau (at 5:15 pm), the ship returned to Nassau because of an onboard medical emergency. At dockside, the liner was met by an ambulance. I personally witnessed two passengers, with their luggage, and speaking to a crew member. Shortly after they and their luggage were driven away via golf cart-like vehicle, a passenger (appeared to be an older male) was brought down the gangway on a stretcher and transported away via the waiting ambulance. A short time later, the ship departed Nassau again and resumed on its way toward Castaway Cay.

On January 25, 2018, a male passenger was medevaced from the ship via USCG MH-65 Dolphin helicopter dispatched from Miami. The man (suffering from unspecified medical condition) was airlifted from the ship, approx 80 ml / 125 km southeast of West Palm Beach Florida. He was flown to St Mary's Medical Center.

The liner was en-route back to Port Canaveral, returning from 4-day Bahamas cruise (itinerary Jan 22-26) to Nassau and Castaway Cay Island.

30 September 2017

Ship Collision / Allision

(pier collision) On September 30, 2017, while maneuvering for berthing in call port Nassau Bahamas, the ship struck the pier and dented its hull (stern, above waterline). Both the vessel and the dock sustained minor damages. The accident occurred during 3-day Bahamas cruise (itinerary Sept 29 – Oct 2) from Port Canaveral to Nassau and Castaway Cay Island.

Note: Actually, this type of marine accidents is called “allision” (striking a fixed object) as opposed to “collision” (striking another vessel).

September 2017

Other Incidents

In September 2017, two Bahamas cruises from Port Canaveral to Nassau and Castaway Cay were cancelled due to hurricane Irma. Those were (itineraries Sept 8-11 (3-day) and Sept 11-15 (4-day). All cancelled bookings received full refunds plus 25% future Disney cruise credit. All booked shore excursions were fully refunded.

04 May 2017

Crew / Passenger Injuries and Overboards

(overboard) On May 4, 2017, a male passengers went overboard, but fortunately, the man was saved and reboarded alive. The AIS tracking data showed the vessel slowing down and circling in an area west of Freeport Bahamas. The search operation was assisted by USCG airplane team. The man’s rescue took ~1 hour. The USCG gave compliments to the cruise ship’s crew for their efficient and competent actions during the emergency.

Note: All Disney ships are equipped with an automatic man overboard system, which easily explains the relatively few Disney overboard accidents. This system automatically alerts the officers at the ship’s Navigation Bridge when someone goes overboard.

11 April 2014

Crew / Passenger Crimes

(sexual) On April 11, 2014, a 36-year-old male crew was arrested and charged with molestation of a minor. The man (Ahmed Sofyan, of Indonesian origin) was accused of molesting a 13-year-old female passenger. The incident occurred at ~8 am on board the ship docked in homeport Cape Canaveral. He was charged with 2 counts of lewd (lascivious molestation) and 1 count of false imprisonment of a minor.

16 January 2013

Boat Rescue

On January 16, 2013, the liner assisted a small motor yacht in distress and saved both seamen (US citizens). The incident occurred in Bahamian waters at the end of the voyage.

05 August 2012

Crew / Passenger Crimes

(sexual) On August 5, 2012, a 33-year-old male crew (Milton Braganza) was observed via CCTV camera molesting an 11-year-old female passenger (of Brazilian origin, traveling with her grandmother) in one of the ship’s elevators. The footage showed the man (of Indian origin, working on the ship as dining room waiter) first stalking and following the kid into the passenger lift, then grabbing her breast with his left hand through her clothes and kissing her forcibly on the mouth.

During the incident, the ship was still docked in homeport Port Canaveral. The incident occurred in US waters, ~1,5 hours before departure on 5-day Bahamas cruise to Nassau and Castaway Cay.

While the girl reported to the ship’s security immediately, the alleged crime wasn’t reported promptly to the local police (Brevard County Florida) by Disney Cruises. The incident was reported the next day, when the vessel was in International waters, en-route to Bahamas. The confessed perpetrator was disembarked in the itinerary’s first call port Nassau (Aug 7). He was subsequently flown to India (at the line’s expense) thus avoiding an US investigation.

The girl’s family didn’t file an official complaint or request further investigation. In May 2013, the “Disney child molestation” case received worldwide coverage, after several renown news media reported the incident. Among those were Daily Mail (UK), International Business Times (US), New York Daily News (US), Herald Sun (AU), also news agencies and online media in Germany, Greece, Romania, Turkey, India, China.

In April 2014, the WKMG Local 6 interviewed a former Disney Dream ship security officer (Dawn Taplin) about the case. After she investigated the sexual crime, she was told by the chief security officer “keep your mouth shut”. The woman quit her job a few weeks after this incident.

Note: Under the US-Florida law, such a sexual crime (“lewd or lascivious molestation of a minor under 12”) is punishable by 25 years to life in federal prison.

05 February 2012

Coast Guard Medevacs

On February 5, 2012, shortly after leaving homeport Cape Canaveral (halfway down the channel), due to a medical emergency the ship turned around and docked again at the pier.